Sun Burst Clock

In this Instructable I show how I make a Sun burst clock. It's a throwback to the 40s,50s & 60s when they were most popular. This is quite a large clock with the diameter of the clock 38.5 inches or 980mm but it could easily be scaled up or down to suit your needs. I first made this clock a number of years ago and it has been hanging in my house ever since. If you would like to give it a go check out below.

Supplies

Materials:

Wood old or new around 30mm thick

9 mm Wood dowels

Glue (wood & super)

Battery clock mechanism & hands (Amazon)

Self adhesive numerals (Amazon)

Wood stain

Varnish & white paint

Tools:

Circular saw

Drill + 9mm drill bit to match dowel width

Router with 6 or 12mm straight cutting bit

Pliers ( to tighten clock mechanism nut)

Rubber mallet

Electric sander

Step 1: Have a Look at the Video Below.

Have a look at the video above.

Step 2: The Sun Rays.

To start I marked out a sun ray on a piece of cardboard to use as a template to mark the 32 rays needed. A ray measures 205mm long , 40mm widest end and x7 mm on the narrow end.

The wood I used was recycled wood which had come from an old school bench which was being discarded. The wood in question was 30mm thick. When marking the rays onto the wood I left a 3mm spacing between them. this was to allow for the thickness of my circular blade which was 3mm thick.

Step 3: Cutting and Sanding the Rays.

To carefully and safely cut out the rays I clamped the wood to my work bench with some quick clamps. When all 32 were cut out I then clamped my belt sander to my bench to begin the long & boring task of sanding them on all sides. Having a belt sander does speed up the process though.

Step 4: The Clock Face.

After all that sanding was done I turned to the clock face I did not have wood the correct width so I had to glue two pieces together using wood glue and clamps and set aside to cure. one cured I released the clamps and sanded it smooth with the belt sander. The diameter of the face is 260mm.

Step 5: Drilling the Holes for the Rays.

To make it easier to mark all the holes to be drilled I created a printable template. It is divided into 16 inner and 16 outer rays. I marked the centre on the back of the clock face and set the template on top and marked all the positions. Using a ruler I connected each corresponding mark through the centre point. I then used a compass to mark the diameter of the face and cut it out using a jigsaw and sanded it smooth with the belt sander.

For more accurate, safe and consistent drilled holes I clamped a drill with a 9mm drill bit to my work bench. This did take a bit of adjusting get right. It is easier to push the rays and face to the drill bit rather than trying to do them free hand.

Step 6: Router Space for Clock Mechanism.

I wanted the clock to sit flush to the wall when up so I had to router a recess into the back of the face. I marked an area slightly bigger than the mechanism and just freehanded it out. To hang it on the wall I used some brass escutcheon plate which also had to be recessed in.

Step 7: Staining, Finishing Cutting Dowels.

I wanted to wood to be darker to match wood I had in my house so I stained it using some Rosewood dye and once dry finished it with a few coats of spray on clear lacquer.

For the 9mm dowels I painted them with a gloss white wood paint.

There are 2 lengths of dowels 16 for the inner ray and 16 for the outer rays. These measure 190mm and 75mm total length allowing 25mm to be glued on each end. I cut them using a mitre saw but this could easily be done with a hand or Tenon saw instead.

Step 8: Assembly.

You could use wood glue but I went with super glue as it is quicker. I started by gluing in all the dowels into the face and the all the rays. I did this on a flat surface to ensure that none of the rays were ticking up o down. Once all was dried I stuck on the numbers of the clock. These were some I purchased online. They were 20mm in height, self adhesive and just needed a little pressure to ensure good contact and adhesion. The clock mechanism is easily fitted with just with one nut and washer and the hands push into place.

Step 9: Final Thoughts.

And here is the finished Sun burst clock!!. It has been hanging in my house now for 7 years. Let me know what you think of it and what if anything you would change or do differently. If I have not covered all the details on the build let me know and I will update them. Thanks for looking. If you would like to see more projects from me you can visit my Youtube channel here. Eamon Walsh DIY

Thanks again.

Eamon